1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to packages and more particularly to a flexible package having an upwardly and rearwardly extending top.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Innovative packaging has been used for a considerable period of time to display and market various items of apparel, particularly smaller items of apparel such as hosiery, socks and lingerie as well as jewelry. For example, a major hosiery brand was developed in the late 1960s utilizing a plastic egg shaped package held on a cylindrical pedestal. That packaging was innovative and attractive, however, it could be destroyed by an enthusiastic shopper when it was opened by the shopper to exam the garment itself. Once opened, the package could not be resealed, and it was usually necessary to replace it and the garment in total.
The hosiery program utilizing the plastic egg-like package ultimately converted its packaging to flexible cardboard because of the expense associated with the plastic egg and because of the damage it suffered in the marketplace from opened and unpurchased packaging. The replacement package was cardboard and shaped somewhat like the egg package; however, it was considerably cheaper to produce and discouraged, to a somewhat greater degree, opening by shoppers because it was glued in a sealed condition around the garment. Even in this condition; however, many packages were still opened by shoppers to exam the garment in greater detail and to be assured that the contents of the package were in fact what was represented on the surface of the package.
At the present time, there is no package in existence that can permit an examination by the potential purchaser of the contents of the package without destroying the package and perhaps damaging the product, and it is to this critical need that the present invention is directed.
It is a principal objective of the present invention to provide a flexible package for smaller apparel items and accessories that encompasses all of the benefits of prior art devices and more and contains none of the deficiencies of such devices.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a package of the type described that is simple in construction and operation and less expensive than currently used similar devices.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a package of the type described which can be opened and reclosed by the shopper without doing damage to either the package or its contents.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a package that will reduce the maintenance time required to service displays carrying such packaging and to reduce the damage associated with opening the packaging and examining the contents that has been experienced in the past.
From the foregoing objectives, it can be seen that the present invention is a flexible package having a body portion with a front, back, bottom and two sides and a top portion extending from the front upwardly and curving rearwardly and having a terminal end forming a latch to secure the top portion to the back of the body portion as well as providing a hanger for displaying the package on a peg board or hook. The sides are inwardly tapered to cooperatively join the back near the location where the latch is secured to the back of the body portion, and the leading edge of the sides mates neatly with the arcuately extending top, but is not bonded or firmly secured thereto. The latch on the terminal end of the top portion and the hanger adjacent thereto are diecut tabs with the hanger having a hole to cooperatively receive a peg or hook for supporting the package.
Thus, there has been outlined the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.
It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting in any respect. Those skilled in the art will appreciate the concept upon which this disclosure is based and that it may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the invention. It is also to be understood that the abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by its claims, nor to limit its scope in any way.
Thus, the numerated objectives and others identified herein, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and the specific objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views.